Masked Freedom
by MakeMeProud
Summary: When Katara is taken as a young girl to become Prince Zuko's personal servant, they become friends. But they both grow into their abilities the older they get and start to wear masks of freedom. One wears it to escape duties, the other. . . for revenge.
1. Taken

**Okay, this idea just kind of came to me in a dream and wont get out of my head and its driving me crazyy! Katara's thoughts are in italics. I will accept criticism as long as you are nice about it, because I know the only way to get better is by learning from your mistakes. This story is being rewritten so some things will be different.**

Katara watched in a daze as the rocking waves pushed against the body of the ship. Her eyes seemed to follow each curve, each turn the current twisted, almost feeling the way the cool ocean water would curl around her fingers. The sounds of the raging water spinning through the slight breeze created a sort of lullaby, wrapping its invisible arms around her slim frame. There was a whisper in the air begging her to stay strong. She sighed and sagged against the cold, metal railing. She wanted her mother's arms instead of the winds gentle breeze, yet it brought to her a certain peace. A feeling of love.

A small smile tugged at the young girl's face even though her eyes stung with tears and her nose started to burn. Small, frail hands gripped at the railing of the Fire Nation ship, making her knuckles turn a strange shade of white that contrasted with her water tribe skin. The skin that seemed to constantly be tanned by the sun, the skin that caught people attention and labeled her as exotic and wild.

When the Fire Nation raided the Southern Water Tribe, they not only killed her mother, but took her and her brother. She could still see Gran Gran's face, crumpled and old, with endless tears falling down her cheeks and diving into her wrinkles.

"Please," she had begged. "Please, I beg of you. Please just let the children go! Please!" Hysteria was clear in her voice, the fear that threaded through her words. But it wasn't fear for herself, but fear for her grandchildren.

Katara could still feel the pain in her wrists from where the soldier had placed his hands around them, being sure to singe them. She tried to shut her eyes and block the fresh memories from her mind, but they played out in front of her anyway.

Sokka kicked his feet harder in the snow to catch up with his little sister. If there was one thing Katara was good at, it was running like the waves that crashed against the sea line. Katata giggled and picked up speed, making the snow billow up behind her and into Sokka's face. He growled in annoyance and pumped his arms to catch up. He could do this, he could do this!

Katara glided over the small hill leading back into their village with ease as she glanced behind her shoulder to see how far behind her brother was. When she was assured that he was a good distance away she turned around, ready to run all the way home and brag about her victory. Her feet stopped though when she looked at the sky. It was snowing. Nothing was unusual about it snowing in the Southern Water Tribe, but this snow was grey and flakey.

She heard Sokka stop behind her. "What is this?" she asked.

He paused before speaking. "Its ash." Katara gasped. They couldn't be here! The siblings took of together to find their mother as it continued to snow ash onto the village, their competition completely forgotten.

She had heard the stories of the red nation. They would give her nightmares for days and some would even make her scream through the night if no one came to soothe her. She tried to remember what her father said to do if she ever met one, but nothing came to her. Not one lousy thing. Her feet beat against the ice, the hard grooves on the bottom of her snow boots keeping her from slipping, and her heart thumped against her ribs so hard she thought they would brake.

Screams of panic and battle cries echoed throughout the small village. A tribal woman, Shayma, fled by, her back alight with burning flames licking at her clothing. Every instinct to help the woman was blazing through Katara, but she had to find her mother first. She zoomed past the fighting men and women around her and ran to her father's igloo. Mother was the only one who could keep her safe. Father said so. Her boots crunched against the snow as she pushed aside the penguin-seal skin and entered her home.

"Momma-"

Her lips sealed shut as she took in the situation before her. Kya moved from around the soldier to see her little girl. There were tears in her blue eyes that made them sparkle. "Katara," she stated. "I want you to go find Sokka, okay?" Her voice was shaky and broken, tears shining down her cheeks.

_I don't want to go._

"But ma-"

"Listen to your momma, kid," the soldier sneered. Katara gasped as the man grabbed her wrists, his hands red hot, sending shooting pain up her arms and making her legs go weak. She glanced at her mother, fear and panic in Kya's crystal blue eyes, but there was a brave smile on her face. She gave an approving nod. The message was clear.

Everything will be alright.

Katara tore her eyes away from the woman and looked at the red soldier's face, cringing as his gold eyes pierced into her like liquid fire and blazing heat. Gold. Oh how she hated that color.

The man tightened his grip around her wrists and, with out warning, shoved her out of the small, cold home. She fell onto the icy ground and moaned as a bump started to form on the crown of her head. It felt like it was splitting, making her nauseas, and she shut her eyes in hope that it would make everything stop.

Nothing stopped. In fact, everything continued to blur and mush together, making a collage of fear and pain. Tears built behind her eyes a when the screams began from inside of her little home. She clenched her jaw and sat up, pressing her palms against her ears and burying her head in her lap. "Stop," she whimpered. "Please stop."

Heavy footsteps came on either side of her ears. Her heart stopped. She stared straight ahead and when she felt the unnatural heat whip against her fur parka, she shut her eyes. She wouldn't open her eyes. Not for him. The crunching of his armor was heard as he bent over her. Still she did not open her eyes. She would not acknowledge this man. Not if she could help it. The man became fed up and grabbed the fur trimming of her blue parka. He yanked her to her feet, but she only stood there doing nothing.

The man released a sigh of aggrivation and pushed the small girl forward. She stumbled over her feet from another shove and then another, but she still did not open her blue eyes. Her father had told her not to. He said it gave away her position in the village, that they would harm her for it. The royal family, her father, Sokka, and herself were the only ones with ice blue eyes. They were the color of glaciers. Its what made them unique from any other person in their tribe.

Bumping into another body distracted her from her thoughts and she tried to back away quickly, but two firm hands grabbed onto her arms. She stopped moving and held completely still. She clenched her fists to stop them from shaking.

"Open your eyes."

She did no such thing. A stinging sensation filled her cheek and a loud cracking sound traveled through the air. Her eyes stung and she involuntarily tried to blink them away. But that had been enough . The soldier let go of her and pushed her toward her brother sorely sticking out from all of the younger children around him. He opened his arms wide and let her fall into them, burrowing into his chest to hide her tears.

A crowd had gathered around them, but none could touch them. The red armored men surrounding them made sure of that. They pushed Sokka away from the children and toward the entrance of the big metal ship as the pointed tip lowered to the ground.

_I don't want to go._

Katara could feel the children crying and shaking against her and she circled her arms around as many as she could, crushing them to her chest. She glanced behind her, seeing her family and friends fight for them and watching them fall. Her own eyes filled with tears as Gran Gran pushed against a soldier to reach out to them, her frail fingers fighting to feel us, but he grabbed her and threw her to the ground.

Katara's body tensed as the instinct to fight consumed her, but before she could act, Sokka grabbed her hand hauling her into the ship and away from her people. She faced them until the large door collided with the rest of the ship closing them in.

Katara turned away. She didn't want to think of anyone else being hurt because of them, so she turned her attention to her surroundings as she entered the corridors of the giant ship.

That was a week ago.

"Katara."

Katara opened her eyes and turned around, facing away from the ocean she loved so dearly. Her brother stood in front of her and gestured toward the entrance to below deck. "They want us back inside. I guess they think we'll try to jump overboard or something." He meant it as a joke, but something about his statement caught her off guard. That option didn't sound as bad as she had hoped it would and that worried her.

_Be strong._

She inhaled the brisk wind as it glided from the ocean, carrying with it the smell of fish and salt.

She look down toward the deck under her feet. "Yes, I suppose you're right." Her feet seem to have a mind of their own as they sluggishly moved their way toward the door. Her once soft, unchapped hands glided along the metal walls as she slowly made her way back to her cell. She heard a chuckle behind her and tried to ignore it.

However she couldn't ignore it when the raider came to her side and let his hand travel along her hip. She tried to control the shiver that traveled up her spine. These men were vile. She wasn't even eleven and yet they could not ignore the fact that a female was in their presence. His hand traveled a little further inward and she tried to step away, but the red man pushed her so she tripped and landed against the wall, holding her chin in place. Sokka started to fight back, but the soldier swiped him across the face. He collapsed against the wall and didn't move. The soldier brought his face down to her level, fixated on the true blue of her eyes that seems to attract everyone. It was unlike any blue he had ever seen. Her eyes were such a light blue, they were almost white. They were truly ice.

"Come look at this, Kinnan." The second of the three soldiers came to inspect and gave a small chuckle. He only shrugged his shoulders and turned his back on them to walk ahead, leaving the small girl still trapped in the burly man's hands.

She stared at the man with so much hatred that he had to admire the young girl's internal strength. He stared at her for a few more minutes, enjoying the look from her eyes before chuckling darkly. He let her go with an extra push so her head banged against the wall. She grunted at the impact, but did nothing more even though the pain was blinding. She was truly growing a tough layer of skin. He gave a deep throaty chuckle before motioning for her to step in front of him with a mock bow. Katara didn't know what to do except glare at the man, so thats what she did all the way to her cell.

_One day you will all pay for what you've done._


	2. Palace Placement

** I forgot to mention in my last Authors Note that if you DO review then you get mentioned in the next chapter. Now whether as a character or just in the Authors Note is up to you. Just thought I would mention that. ;) If you DO want to be mentioned in my story, then give me a description of what you want it to look like and the name and I will gladly do so!**

**"Red's" refer to fire nation soldiers.**

**REWRITTEN!**

**Thank you ****kitkatlover**** and ****Katrina3064****!**

Katara could feel the volcanic ocean floor bang against the bottom of the boat as the ground slowly started to make its way upward. She knew it would only be a matter of minutes before a red came to take her away. _And just when this cell was starting to feel like home._ She grinned at the thought. _Like anything here could feel like home._

Sure enough, ten minutes passed and a guard came to her cell, his armor clanging with each stiff movement. She stood and calmly stared at the man. He motioned for her to exit and led her to the main exit of the ship.

The dim lighted hallways provided just enough light for her to see Sokka ahead of her in the distance.

Shivers passed across the flesh of her back and arms.

He was covered in dust all the way from the crown of his head to his dirty, holey boots. There were multiple tears in the fabric of his pants and shirt with bits of bloodstains showing around his ankles. The left side of his face was red and blotchy from where the soldier had hit him.

Katara wanted to run into his arms and cry her eyes out into his ruined shirt, but she knew better than to appear weak in front of these men. She had to be strong, not only for herself but also for her people.

The main exit door lowered and they were forced off of the ship and onto a platform. It was made of wood and metal so no one could bend it.

A man with a feather in his helmet glided to the front of the platform. He must have been the general. Katara didn't move as the man came to rest in front of her. Her body raced with adrenaline as the instinct to fight or flight rushed through her head.

"Where are you from?"

The answer was automatic. "The Southern Water Tribe."

The man said nothing for a minute before barking a command. "Let me see your eyes!"

Katara continued to look past him, but he grabbed her chin and forced her head to rise. She had no choice. The general gave a deep throaty chuckle that came from the very pit of his rotten heart. He roughly released her and pushed her to the soldier standing at attention to his side.

"Take her to the palace. I'm sure Fire Lord Ozai can make use of a beauty like her."

Fear automatically gripped her as the soldier lead her to a small group of people. They were all very nice looking and ranged from four to fourteen. She glanced behind her to see Sokka again, but the guards were already taking him away. She started to fear the worst. What if they killed him? What if he was forced into slavery? Even that option sounded better to her than death.

She stopped breathing when arms wrapped around her from behind. Small sniffles were heard behind her and her heart started to crack. A young girl, about four or five, was crying into Katara's back. She glanced up at Katara with hope. "Have you seen my mommy?"

Katara didn't know what to say so instead she just shook her head and got on her knees to hug the girl. She sobbed for a few more minutes before looking again at Katara. "You have pretty eyes," she said. Katara blushed and told the girl her name. "My name is Kaylena," the girl said with a smile. She was missing one of her front teeth.

Katara wrapped Kaylena in her arms as the group started to leave toward some Fire Nation wagons. Once everyone was settled in, the soldiers took off. The last thing Katara remembered was the general setting a young boy on fire. She knew the vision would taunt her for years.

The dirt roads provided little comfort on the long ride to the Fire Nation Palace, but Katara tried to ignore the pain in her back as Kaylena slept peacefully on top of her with her head nestled in Katara's chest.

As they traveled, she looked at the Fire Nation markets with bright, colorful fruit and the red and gold buildings seemed to stretch for miles. Each sight and scent was foreign to her and she morphed her face into a scowl.

She turned away from the beautiful colors. She hated them. She hated this city, these people...this nation.

But even she could not stop her eyes from bulging out of her head as she saw the Fire Nation palace. It had three entry gates with a garden separating each one before actual entry to the palace. The front had a large doorway that could have fit ten igloos in it and a large balcony above it. Flames were everywhere. On posters, artwork, and even real fire, casting shadows in little pots against the wall. The palace itself was inside of a dormant volcano!

The group made their way through elaborate doorways and corridors until they reached a grand door with two dragons as handles. Kaylena releases a small whine and gripped Katara's hand harder as the guards awaited orders. A man signaled for them to proceed and Katara watched in fascination as the two guards positioned themselves on either side of the handles. Then they simultaneously crouched and blew fire into the handles until they flew though small holes leading to the top of the doors casting the whole room in a yellow light.

Katara widened her eyes as the throne room was revealed. A world map lay in the center of the floor with cushions lined on either side and above that was a monstrous sight. A wall of flames spread across the room and in front of it lay four thrones. She couldn't see what the people looked like, only their shadow's.

The Fire Lord stepped down from his throne and commanded the children to line up. They did as told and stared at the ground.

Everyone except Katara.

She stared at the wall of flames with a determined face. One that promised she could never be broken. The man walked down the line, just looking at them like they were going to be his next meal, but he had to choose carefully. He didn't want a spoiled piece.

He walked in front of Katara and stopped_._

He bent to her level and grinned. "The Water Tribe, hmm?"

Katara didn't answer him. This only seemed to amuse the man as he stroked his goatee thoughtfully. He stood up strait and then started to laugh. Katara didn't seem to understand what was so funny. "So Hakoda had a daughter." His eyes glanced up her body. "A beauty at that."

Katara froze.

The man grinned. She shivered, not liking where this was going. He strutted around her, picking up her braid, feeling her arms and other places Katara would rather not remember. "Well, _Princess._ How do you feel about washing clothes? Hm? Or how about...men?" Shivers passed along her skin.

He leaned to whisper in her ear. "I have a special place for you, my dear. A special place for a special girl. I could use a girl like you; defiant, strong, and hateful. Oh yes. I'm sure you will be of great use to me when you are older." She tore her head away from him and glared in disgust. She was not afraid of him. She would rather die than give herself to a man like him.

He stood back up and motioned behind him to the throne on his right. "But for now, you will serve my son, Price Zuko."

She glanced at the young boy hidden behind his father's figure. The first thing she saw was gold. The worst color she had ever seen. Gold. He had his black hair in a pony tail and his unmarked eyes looked strait at her. Glared at her to be more precise.

She looked back at him and scowled.

_Just great._

Fire Lord Ozai continued down the line, assigning positions to the older children. Once he was finished he lectured about how this was his nation and they would obey him or else. Katara was not intimidated by his presence.

Afterwards she was led away from the group into the bathing room. The room was quite grand. Murals covered the stone walls and large curtains provided privacy. A smile started to form on her face when the foggy atmosphere created a soft dew on her skin. The first time she has had water fully at her command and she couldn't even get to bend it. There were too many witnesses. She wanted to keep her bending a secret. Maybe it would come to her advantage one day when she was strong enough to escape this horrible place.

"These clothes are absolutely filthy!" a plump woman in red robes fussed, motioning toward Katara's water tribe clothing. She looked down at them in confusion. They didn't look that bad to her.

"Yes, I fully agree with you Lee," another woman contemplated. "We must remove them at once."

They both simultaneously pushed her into the hot water and she gasped. It was burning her skin! Immediately hands dived in and started to remove her clothes. "Hey!" she protested. "Cut it out!" They continued to ignore her wishes and stripped her until she was completely naked.

She had never been so embarrassed in her entire life. Her mother was the only one who had ever seen her naked and thats when she was a baby! Now she was showing everyone in this room evereything! Her arms covered her chest self consciously and she pulled her knees to her chest tightly.

The fat women continued to fuss over how dirty Katara was even when she was squeaky clean! She eventually started to think they thought she was fire nation and her skin was just covered in a layer of dirt. Once they were happy with her polished skin, they brushed out her thick hair, painfully, and put it into a traditional fire nation bun. It was hideous.

The women gushed over how beautiful she looked in her new fire nation robes and her hair like she was their own daughter. She simply smiled and thanked them as they led her to meet the head servant to receive her training.

The lady was old. She looked absolutely ancient! Her hair was ashy white and bundled on top of her head in a perfect circle, not one hair out of place. Her eyebrows and mouth were arched into a permanent frown.

"Who are you?" she demanded. Her voice was gravely and smokey, almost like she had been drinking hot coals.

One of the chirpy fat servants who had dressed Katara giggled. "She's Prince Zuko's new "personal" servant." The old woman glared at the fat woman. "Did I as you, Miko?"

Miko looked down at the floor. "No, Miss Chou."

The old woman grumbled in reply and looked at Katara. "Well?!"

"I am Princess Katara of the Southern Water Tribe." The old lady "hmm"ed and motioned for the princess to follow. The halls were covered in paintings of the fire nation's history and beauty and large candelabras hung from the ceilings.

"You will be trained in etiquette once a day since you are the Prince's personal servant. That means you will attend parties with him, tend to him at meals, fufill his every wish and you will do it willingly. That is the job of a servant. How educated are you? I'm sure those uncivilized tribe people have taught you nothing but how to make meat and clothing."

Katara stiffened at the insult. "Actually, my mother taught me how to read and write, plus some arithmetic's."

The old lady humphed. "Well at least thats a start." Katara glared at the back of the woman's perfectly pinned hair. "Your training begins tomorrow. For now, you will go become acquainted with the Prince."

_Oh, I intend to._

**Yay! Introducing Zuko! You'll see more of him in the next chapter of the story, I promise! And it gets happier too.**


	3. Argue or Agreement?

**I would like to give a shout out to ****Sailingseas****, ****zukofan2005****, ****ArrayePL****, ****PaulAndBarrysWhenever123****, and ****AnnaAza**** for reviewing! Thank you guys so much! Okay so if you guys want a character to appear in the next chapter, than tell me what you want and it will be done! That goes for ****kitkatlover**** and ****Katrina3064**** as well. :) **

**Disclaimer: I own nothing but Kaylena and the plot. Everything else belongs to the fabulous creators of the Avatar series. T_T**

**Enjoy!**

The door shut firmly behind Katara when she walked through the entryway to the Prince's room. Immediately she took the bun out of her hair and braided it the way she liked it. She was slightly taken aback by the extravagant decor of the bed and walls and she moved closer to investigate. Small carvings of flames and dragons covered the surfaces of the bed posts. The walls were painted a deep burgundy.

The door opened announcing the arrival of his royal highness. She tried to ignore the stomping that followed him in. He wasn't really much of a threat. He had a small physic and was kind of short for his age. Not that she noticed. She looked out through the window to the garden below as he stood behind her, waiting for her to acknowledge him. Katara rolled her eyes. If anything, he only irritated her.

The boy cleared his throat and stood tall, hoping that the girl would become intimidated by his puffed out chest. She sighed and pivoted on the balls of her feet, glaring into his golden eyes.

"What?"

His eyes widened at her response. No one had ever talked to him that way. Especially not with that tone. "Huh?"

Katara stared at him, wondering about his sanity. _Idiot._ "I said, _what_?"

His eyes remained wide. Katara rolled her eyes and turned back toward the balcony. Zuko narrowed his eyes at Katara's hair and balled his fists. He put them against his hips and glared, but she didn't seem to notice, so he decided to tap her on the shoulder to grab her attention.

He expected the glare, but not the braid that came and swiped him across the face. It stung for a second and his mouth filled with her brown hair. He spit it out and raked his fingernails against his tongue. "Yuck!"

Katara just rolled her eyes again and turned back around.

_Idiot. Stupid boy. Pesky nuisance!_ Multiple words combined in her head. She didn't want to be here. Especially not with him.

Zuko scowled at the girl. She had turned her back on him three times! He was the master, not her!

"I'm twelve. And you're...uhh...younger! So that makes me in charge! And you will call me Master."

Katara just looked at him and balled her fists. _He really is an idiot, isn't he?_

"What?" he exclaimed when he noticed her look. Katara just shook her head at him and went to pick up the random clothes surrounding her. She looked for a place to put them and decided on the bed. The boy gasped in shock. "What are you doing? Those clothes are dirty! You'll just get my bed dirty, you peasant!"

Katara's back turned rigid and her hands stopped in mid-air. She turned around slowly to face him. He stood tall with an arrogant smirk placed on his face. He slowly crossed his arms and raised an eyebrow. Katara wasn't amused. She took a step forward. "What did you just call me?"

"You heard me. Peasant."

_That's it!_

She lunged toward the boy and pushed her hands against his chest. He screamed as he fell to the ground and sat there, staring up at Katara with wide eyes.

"Don't ever call me that again, you jerk!" She started to walk away before she did something she'd really regret. She would have used her water whip on him, but her abilities weren't that strong yet. And besides, she didn't want to ruin her secret because of a spoiled child.

She gasped as she felt the ground collide with her hands. It caused a dull pain to echo in her wrists and elbows. She looked down to her feet where a flimsy hand circled her ankle and she grimaced. Zuko pulled at it and tried to drag her along with it, but she pulled her foot up and caught him in the mouth. He yelped and grabbed at his mouth. He stood up and raised his hands in a fighting stance.

"You cut my lip! You'll pay for this you-Ah!"

He fell again as Katara swiped his feet out from under him with her leg. She let out a triumphant laugh and turned away, but quickly found that wasn't a good idea as he pushed at her back with his feet, successfully knocking her on her stomach. He scurried up her body and quickly straddled her back so she couldn't move.

"Never turn your back on your enemy," he said.

_Enemy is it? I'll show you enemy!_

She turned her head and grinned up at Zuko. She enjoyed watching his arrogant feature turn to confusion. Then, she swiftly rose her head and slammed it to his forehead. Both grunted and groaned as pain shook their brains. She hadn't anticipated it to hurt that bad! It was only supposed to hurt him! Even so, he still remained on top of her.

He even went so far as to threaten to burn her, but she knew he was too much of a wussy to try that. When she laughed at his threat, he pushed the back of her head, slamming her forehead to the ground. She shut up immediately and groaned.

_That one hurt. Ooowww!_

She glared up at him and wiggled from side to side, loosening his hold and then she struggled free. By now Katara's hair was out of its braid and spread out all along her back. Zuko's ponytail had taken some of the fight as well. They stood and positioned themselves into a fighting crouch, ready to attack. They started to circle and waited to see who would make the first move.

The door opened and both of them snapped their heads toward the intruder. A young woman dropped her basket of linens as she took in the scene. Then, she started to scream and flail her arms around her face as she scurried to the Prince's side.

"What happened to you! You're bleeding! Some one come quick! Are you okay?" The woman rambled on and on, bringing Prince Zuko to her chest and squeezing him in a hug. Katara would have found the situation funny if it weren't for the screaming. She covered her ears with her hands as the sound vibrated in her head. It was starting to give her a headache.

A guard appeared in the door and watched the scene unfold. Then he grabbed Katara and hit her in the back of the head. She screamed and feel to the floor where the guard started to repeatedly kick her in the side.

"No! Stop!"

The guard stopped and Katara opened her eyes. She looked at Zuko and noticed that he was the one who had commanded the guard to stop. But why?

"But Prince Zuko, she assaulted you," the guard stated. Zuko puffed up and scowled at the man and said, "She did no such thing because I would never let myself be hurt by one so weak!" The guard widened his eyes. "My apologies, Prince. We will leave you now." He bowed and started to exit dragging the hysterical woman behind him.

Katara turned to the prince with curiosity, but he would not meet her eyes. Silence ensued for several minutes. Zuko shuffled his feet and put his hands behind his back. He didn't look up to meet her eyes.

"Why did you do that?" she said finally. He seemed slightly shocked that she had spoken and blushed.

"I want a truce," he stated. Katara stared at him for a moment before motioning for him to continue. "I won't call you a peasant if you promise to not tell anyone what actually happened."

"You mean getting beat by a girl."

"Yes!" he yelled, an embarrassed flush covering his cheeks.

She was shocked. She didn't think he would actually admit to it, but there they were. But she guessed there was a first for everything.

He squirmed underneath her ice eyes and stuck his hand out. "Deal or no deal?" She considered the offer a bit more to really let it sink in. She stuck her hand out after staring at him with a scrutinizing scowled.

"Deal."

He looked up at her and then at her hand. Hesitantly, he reached for it. They gripped and shook.

"Deal."

They smiled at each other and let go.

For the first time, Katara felt like she had finally found an ally in this foreign place. He may not be the best companion, but to be allies you didn't need to like them.

They seemed to hover around, not knowing what to do until Zuko noticed that the dirty clothes were still on his bed. He pointed to them. "Clean them. I'm tired of looking at them."

_And now the moments gone_, Katara thought. She grabbed them and started to head to the wash room Miss Chou had showed her during the tour. He stared at her retreating back and smiled.

"And wash the bed sheet too!"

Katara's sigh could be heard from all the way down the hall.

**Yay! Another chapter done. This ones a bit shorter than the first two, but it seemed like a good place to end it. So I did! Any questions or comments can easily be sent in a review! Just a reminder about the characters. I am serious about those. ;)**


	4. Ways of Waterbending

**This is a new chapter I added because i figured out how to help Katara learn water bending! Drum roll please! I present Hama!**

**Enjoy, MakeMeProud**

Katara sighed again as she placed the silverware around the china dish perfectly. She must have been doing this for at least two hours.

Her new teacher, Miss Chin, nodded her head in approval as she slowly walked around the room. "Good," she praised. "You didn't even have to think that time."

Katara smiled up at Miss Chin. "Does this mean I'm done?"

The woman grabbed her silk robes and started to leave the room. "Good heavens, no. Your movements are sloppy, you have no poise, and you are as stiff as metal. But you are finished. For now." Her lips puckered like she had sucked on a lemon. The mole beside her upper lip twitched and her frown lines crinkled even more if that was possible.

"Your next class is across the hall with Ms. Hama. She requested you for some reason, though I can't seem to see why." She waved her hand lazily across the court yard and left the room.

Katara sighed again and laid on the cold stone ground. How many more times could she possibly set tableware? She rose from the ground and started to walk across the courtyard enjoying the open air. The sun beat down on the pond in the middle of the courtyard making it glisten. The water lilies were in full bloom permeating the air with a floral scent. It was quite beautiful and she thought of skipping her next class and spending the rest of her day napping by the shore, but she had a feeling that wouldn't go over very well.

So instead she walked past the tempting pond to the cold stone walls of her boring etiquette class. Inside of the room was a small table with cushions and a tea set in the middle and in the farthest corner from the door was a small fountain made of placed rocks. Next to the fountain was a very old woman in a brown shawl. She kept half of her hair up while the rest flowed down her back in silky white waves. She had a friendly smile on her face as she waved Katara next to her.

She sat cross-legged next to the old woman and introduced herself. The woman chuckled and waved her hand dismissively. "Yes, yes I know who you are. My name is Hama and I was great friends with your grandmother, Kanna."

Katara's eyes widened in surprise. "Wait, you are from the Southern Water Tribe?" The woman nodded and motioned for her to be quiet. "Watch this," she said. Her hands came out in front of her and made a fluid motion. All of a sudden a stream of water curled out of the fountain and started to dance in mid air.

Katara couldn't contain her excitement. "You're a waterbender! You have to teach me please! There was no one left in the water tribe to teach me. Oh please!" The old woman laughed and nodded her head.

"Yes, I will teach you Katara, but first do you know how to serve tea?"

Katara sighed. "Probably not the fire nation way."

Hama smiled and motioned to the pot. "Believe it or not, its just like every other culture." The tea rose out of the spout of the pot and circled in the air. "You just have to be kind and polite when you serve it." Suddenly, the tea split into two sections and fell into the two teacups sitting in delicate saucers.

Katara was in shock. This woman had to be a Master! What was her luck that she would find a Master Waterbender in the Fire Nation?

She stood and gave a respectful bow. "Master Hama, I would be honored to learn from you." The woman smiled and nodded her head in acknowledgement.

"But there is one other thing."

The woman looked at Katara curiously.

"The Fire Nation separated me from my brother and now I have no idea where he is. Will you please help me find him?" She waited anxiously for a reply. How did she know she could trust her? She may just be pretending to get close to Katara and figure out her secret. But something in the old woman's eyes told her that she was being honest.

Silence filled the air until Hama stood. "Young Katara, I will do everything in my power to rescue him from this hell of a land." Her smile was genuine and fierce, but her eyes held almost a sort of revenge in them, like she resented this land as much as Katara did. Maybe even more.

Before Katara could thank her again, Hama motioned to the pond beside her. "Come. Show me what you know."

Later that night Katara was asked to serve in the main dining hall. She was instructed to serve the prince at all times and make sure everyone's glass was to remain full at all times. If she failed, she would be lashed with a fire whip on her back. The mere thought caused shivers to tremor through her spine.

The main dining hall was quite beautiful with its exquisite candelabras and ruby red colored walls. A gold trim circled the entire room, creating almost a sort of warmth in the icy atmosphere. Fire was everywhere. Painted on the walls, in pictures, held in torches.

The dress Katara had been forced to wear was much to long for her body. She didn't have the breasts or the posterior to properly fill out the kimono-style serving dress. It was obviously meant for a woman, not a girl as herself. The end of the dress cut off at around the middle of her calves, but she figured it was supposed to be cut off mid-thigh. The ties of the dress created a deep plunge to show off her none existent cleavage. She felt like a whore. Perhaps that was her purpose at this stupid dinner.

The first course was served and plated before her services were requested. She kept her head down as to avoid eye contact with the royal family like instructed and walked silently to the prince's side. Her hand wanted to tremble under the family's eyes, but she kept it study as to not drip any contents onto the table. A sharp snap echoed through the room as the prince's hand slammed onto Katara's left buttcheek.

She could hear Fire Lord Ozai laughing heartily at his son and the Fire Lady's disappointed sigh. Her grip tightened on the jug. Frost started to form over the top layer of the jug's contents. Her anger was so pure, so malicious. She wanted to rip him apart for doing this to her, for embarrassing her, for turning her into a slave. She would rather be dead.

A piece of ice cracked in the jug and Katara's grip loosened. _Pull yourself together! Do you WANT to blow your secret?"_

It was so hard. She forcibly turned away from the table instead of dumping the entire jug onto his stubborn, evil head and sighed in anger. Then she decided to do something. The emotions were so pent up in her that she had to blow steam off somehow. Katara focused all of her energy on the cup she had just filled. Sweat started to build on her temples and her cheeks tinged pink with her struggle. Her hands twitched at her sides.

Suddenly as Zuko reached for his cup, it tipped onto him. The dark liquid covered his formal robes, ruining the silk and staining it. Katara let out the breath she had been holding and rushed forward so she could appear innocent. It took all of her will-power to conceal her triumphant smile.

The hammer slammed against the anvil again as Sokka bent the metal straight. Sweat poured down the side of his face, along with soot from the forges. A loud whistle echoed through the forge and Sokka sighed in relief. He put the unfinished metal in the container of water beside him, hearing the hiss as the water cooled the overheated metal.

Since he was only twelve, he was barely paid. Which meant he barely ate. Which meant he was living on the streets. Luckily he had found the job after the fire nation had dropped him off in the middle of the city. At first he wondered why they had just let him go, but then he began to understand why They thought he would die anyway.

People died on the streets everyday here. It was common. The suburbs were no place for a child to live. People were burned alive for not giving up their food rations and if a tax was missed your shop was burned down. Here you couldn't afford to mess up.

Then there was the matter of Katara. Just thinking about her made Sokka tighten up and ball his fists. He would find her. And he knew where she was. The only problem was he was all the way across the nation. He would have to travel there on foot, which was why he was saving up every coin from his horrible job to get a ride from this hell-hole.

The streets were dark and cold as Sokka made his way to his corner a block from the forge. His wooden crate was waiting for him along with his make-shift blanket made from old clothes. He settled in, added his two coins to his growing collection, and prepared himself for the journey to come.

He would find his sister, Or die trying.


	5. Friend or Foe?

**Yay! I have my first character! Anyway, I just got in the mood and wanted to write somemore soo thanks a million to ****PaulAndBarrysWhenever123****, ****Katrina3064****, ****AnnaAza****, ****the musical bender****, ****Sailingseas****, ****Arraye****, and ****Leinbaby497****! **

**Enjoy!**

_2 years later_

Katara watched the fourteen year old as he turned and twisted, spewing fire from his hands and feet in the air. She would never say it aloud, but she loved watching him spar with his sister. It always kept her on her toes and she got a chance to see a different side of him than the usual wound up, stick-up-his-butt self. These were the only times he ever let himself be free.

He looked so happy and carefree when he was sparring. He told her once that he would totally forget he was a prince when he was fighting, that it fueled him to keep going through his life.

He especially loved sparring with Katara. It was just hand to hand combat of course because he didn't think it was fair for him to use fire when she was defenseless, but he didn't know she had her own tricks up her sleeve. They always fought in Fire Lady Ursa's garden. It was his favorite spot to rest and relax after sparring by feeding bread to the turtleducks that inhabited his mother's pond.

Besides, his life was stressful enough with his studies and fighting lessons, along with etiquette and teaching Katara lessons in fighting as well. And what Katara learned from her personal etiquete classes and fighting lessons she taught to Kaylena.

It had become a daily routine between the three. Zuko and Katara spent the first part of the day doing their studies and lessons while Kaylena did her chores. Then, Zuko would teach Katara after lunch, they would spar, and then at bed time, Katara would teach Kaylena.

The Fire Lady touched Katara's shoulder and brought her back to the present. Katara glanced at the kind woman respectfully. Ursa was the only woman she cared for, aside from Kaylena, in the entire palace. She was nothing like her brooding, perverted husband who had concubines in his room at least once a week. No, she was sweet and caring toward any living thing, but she was definitely a mother. Katara had seen Zuko get yelled at plenty of times by this woman.

She smiled at Ursa as she leaned against the wall, silently asking what she wanted with a lift of her brows. Ursa politely smiled back and said, "Why don't you join the fight, dear? It would be good practice for the future."

Katara widened her eyes slightly and felt her throat dry up. "Oh no, I couldn't do that. I-"

"Well, go ahead. Don't just stand there peasant."

Katara's fingers twitched as the girl's voice twirled through her head. She turned toward the girl and looked at her with a blank stare, hiding her true distaste. Zuko may be a lenient soul, but his sister, Azula, was not.

She had been witness to plenty of servants meeting there end because of a chance meeting with the princess. She would not become one of them.

"Hello? I'm talking to you!"

Ursa stood up. "Azula! That is no way to talk to a person."

"But she's a-"

"Follow me, Azula." She turned toward away from the garden and headed to the entryway back to the palace. Azula hesitated, only slightly, before looking at Katara with an icy glare. Then she stormed past her, purposefully bumping her shoulder as she passed.

Katara looked over her shoulder, looking at the girl's black hair as her figure faded into the palace. Then she turned back to the boy standing in the middle of the grassy field. He stood with his feet shoulder length apart and wiggled a finger at her, beckoning her to join him.

She rolled her eyes at him and smiled. "You know we can't right now. I promise later, okay?"

He let out a dramatic sigh and let his head roll backward. "Fine, but you owe me."

She couldn't help but let her eyes wonder down his sweaty body. He had definitely grown within the past two years. His hair was still styled in its ponytail, but he was taller and more built. His shoulders had broadened a little and his jaw was more defined. He was starting to become a man.

She quirked an eyebrow. "And why is that?" He just smiled and shrugged his shoulders in a boyish manner. "I don't know."

Katara rolled her eyes and turned away, waving a hand carelessly behind her as a goodbye. She heard his quiet laugh as her feet crossed the thresh hold of the palace.

"I'm going to go do something useful." She could hear him humph all the way from the garden. A smile graced her lips at their playful banter. Why couldn't it always be like this?

_He's still an idiot. Imagine that._

Suddenly, a hand flew out and grabbed around her wrist. She gasped as she felt a tug and she fell forward, barely catching her balance.

She certainly didn't expect to see the princess in her line of vision as she regained her footing and straited out. But there she was with a murderous glint in her gold eyes. A smirk was on her lips and she tightened her grip on Katara's wrist.

She did nothing, not wanting to anger the young princess, even though they were the same age and Katara could easily take her. Not that she would tell anyone that.

"Don't ever mess with me again. Got it?"

Katara was confused. _When have I ever messed with you?_

She nodded and Azula seemed to slightly relax. "Good," she said. "Because if you do, I will finish you." She snarled at the end of her words and Katara gulped. She may have been able to defeat the princess, but she was no match for her father.

A small glint of what looked like silver behind the princess caught Katara's eye. She saw that it was a tiny blade attached to a girl's fingers. She was skinny, maybe too skinny, and had bangs across her forehead. Buns on either side of her head were connected to ponytails and she wore a completely bored expression on her face.

Katara heard a bubbly giggle on the other side of the bored girl. She had a long braid that touched her knees and wore a pink kimono around her body. She didn't look threatening, but if she was a friend of Azula, Katara knew not to underestimate her.

Katara nodded again with strict movement and Azula smirked again. "Now go. I don't want to talk to you anymore, peasant." She shoved against Katara and she feel backward before careening into another body.

"Ow!"

Katara looked toward the girl that had screamed and widened her eyes. She was Water Tribe!

Katara could tell by her tanned skin and brown hair. She was a small thing, maybe an inch or two shorter than Katara, with ringlets that fell from the top knot on her head. She rubbed aggresively at the growing lump on her forehead. From what Katara could tell, the girl's eyes were grey, which was unusual for a Water Tribe person.

Katara cleared her throat and stretched her hand out. "I'm sorry. I'm Katara. I didn't mean to bump into you. I guess I lost my footing." Katara glanced behind her nervously, but the girls were gone. She let out a relieved sigh.

The other girl laughed whole-heartedly and waved her hand in a dismissive way. "No worries. Everyone makes mistakes. Especially me." She grinned crookedly. "So whats a royal doing as a servant for the Fire Nation?"

Katara was confused at first. How did this girl know that when they had just met? But then it occurred to her. Her eyes. The white ring surrounding her pupil with its crystal blue color.

Her smile started to slip off of her face and her offered hand slowly dropped. "My brother and I were kidnapped."

The girl seemed to sink a little before picking her mood back up. "Oh," was all she said.

Katara smiled, but started to feel uncomfortable as the seconds passed by so she raised her had in proper greeting. They girl looked at it for a while before something clicked. "Oh!" she exclaimed, grasping Katara's hand and shaking it up and down with rapid speed. "Sorry! It's been a while since I've seen Water Tribe customs." She giggled a bit and rolled her eyes.

"I'm Makyla," she said. Katara would have smiled at her but her face was shaking too much because of Makyla's insistent hand moving up and down.

"Um," she mumbled. "You can let go now if you want."

Immediately her hand stilled and Makyla jumped back. "I'm sorry," she laughed. "That was kind of stupid. My bad." Then, she started to hit her forehead with the palm of her hand. "Stupid, stupid, stupid!"

Katara couldn't help but smile. The girl reminded her too much of Sokka. Her smile lessened a bit.

_Sokka._

She had tried so hard to find out what happened to him, but no one would tell her anything. She had tried to pay the guards to tell her with the spare change she would earn from Zuko, but even that didn't work. The only hope she had left was Hama.

Then she thought of an idea.

"Hey Makyla." She looked back at Katara. "Do you know where I could find where the guards take the prisoners when they get off the ships?"

She twisted her mouth and a frown crease appeared between her eyes. "Hmmm," she hummed thoughtfully. "I know for a fact that Fire Lord Ozai has one in his desk, but I'm not sure where you could find anything else about it."

It was Katara's turn to frown.

"_What_? You mean the Fire Lord has one in his desk?"

Makyla shook her head up and down and a grin spread across her face. "Yup! He has a whole book full of all the victims he's captured, where he put them, if they died, blah, blah, blah. He has everything in that one little book. Actually its not that little, but-"

She felt an idea start to form in her mind as she processed the information.

"Thank you, Makyla."

Makyla grinned and turned around, heading through a near corridor.

"Oh wait!"

She stopped and turned toward Katara. "Yes...?" She dragged the word out for a few seconds before letting a permanent smile return to her face.

"Where are you from?"

Makyla smiled even wider. "The Northern Water Tribe." Then she was gone.

Katara stared at the empty space in front of her in shock. She had never met anyone from the Northern Water Tribe. Then another thought popped into her mind.

_Maybe she knows how to waterbend!_

Katara thought about chasing her down, but decided against it. She would see her again. She was sure of it.

With a smile now on her face and the encounter with Azula forgotten, she strutted through the halls and started to head to the room that would surely get her killed.

The more she walked, the less sure of her plan she became. Her palms started to sweat and chills started to race up her spine. Doors passed and she quickened her pace, hoping she wasn't being missed by Zuko. He always seemed to pick the worst times to need her assistants.

She cursed internally as she noticed the guards in front of his door. She hadn't even thought about them. This meant that he was in there. She shuddered at thought of meeting him again. She had done everything in her power to avoid his presence since she became a servant. It was no secret that Ozai liked to mess around with the female servants. He flaunted it like a conquest, which Katara found utterly disgusting.

And that was why she decided to wait until nightfall, when she knew he would be asleep. She would sneak in and find the book, discover where her brother was, and...and what? She hadn't thought about that.

She shook her head. It didn't matter! She had to at least try. Maybe then she could tell Hama.

But nothing ever goes according to plan.

_Hold on Sokka, I'm coming._

She shuffled to the servants quarter and waited for nightfall to come to set her plan into action.

Sokka sighed as the long dirt road twisted and turned ahead of him. For just once, could he at least have some soft dirt to walk in? The tough soles of his feet did little against the pebbles and rocks, leaving his exposed feet sore and cut. His shoes had been stolen long ago and now he was able to fend for himself.

His boomerang was roped to his side and his Water Tribe weapon was harnessed across his back. He's only had to use it once, but once was enough. He felt like a part of him was missing. He wanted to laugh and make jokes like he used to, but there was nothing to laugh at around here. Now a days he wore a frown and a serious look was stitched to his face.

He missed his family, but he couldn't afford to show weakness. Not around here. That was like asking for a death sentence.

He was so close to the palace, he could almost taste the fire flakes from the main market. His stomach growled at the thought of food. He patted it like a pet. "Soon, buddy," he said. "Soon."

A large noise echoed behind him on the road and he turned around. It was cart. No, a slavery collector! Arms and legs thrashed and grabbed through the bars of the cage, desperately clawing at the thought of freedom.

Sokka ran. He couldn't stand a chance against the three men riding on top of the cart. They were big, at least over six feet each, and had burly muscles like they were cage fighters. They all wore green robes.

There were no trees in sight so Sokka decided to do something stupid. He turned around and stood his ground, ready for a fight. He was so close to his sister. He wasn't going down with out a fight.

He didn't stand a chance.

The fight lasted maybe thirty seconds, but Sokka was somehow proud of himself as he joined the group in the back of the cage. He hadn't surrendered willngly.

His hand reached through the bars as the cart turned around. No, no, no! The cart was going the wrong way! He had hoped it would go to the capital where he could escape into the city. Now it was hopeless.

One of the men rode next to the cart on an ostrich-horse and laughed. "Shut up your whining! You're off to the Earth Kingdom, to the greatest city in the world, Ba Sing Se!"

**Cliffy! Sort of a filler, but there was a very important character introduced and wait for it...Toph comes in the next chapter! Yayayay! Thank you ****PaulAndBarrysWhenever123 ****for giving me my first character! And since you were the first you became a main character! Congratulations! Review please!**


	6. The Healing

**Wow! I've gotten over 1,000 hits! thank you guys for reading my story and a big thank you to ****PaulAndBarrysWhenever123****, ****CloudGazer15****, ****zukofan2005****, and ****AnnaAza**** for reviewing! And your welcome ****PaullAndBarrysWhenever**** because you gave me a great idea with that character. Anyone else can get a character too! Just need a name and what they look like. :)**

**Enjoy!**

Footsteps echoed through the corridor and Katara's heart picked up its pace. It was midnight and the Fire Lord was finally returning to his sleeping quarters. She pressed her body into the limestone wall, hoping he wouldn't look to the left and see her in a dark corridor. There's no telling what he would do.

Katara didn't feel like finding out.

A group of guards started to come closer and her breath hitched. Her blood slid through her veins like liquid fire and her knees started to shake.

_Don't look. Please don't look!_

She closed her and scrunched up her face, just waiting for their footsteps to stop in front of her.

But they didn't stop.

Katara kept her eyes closed until they were out of ear shot and let out a sigh of relief. She slide down the wall when her legs started to feel like pudding. Her head bump against the wall and she looked up.

She didn't know if she could do this. She nearly blew her own cover just because the man walked past her. What would she do when the punishment for walking into his room, let alone stealing something from his desk, was looming over her head? She closed her eyes again and took a deep breath.

No, she could do this. She had too. This was for her brother. She could do this. Right?

She took another deep breath through her nose and mouth, stood up and put her shoulders back.

"What are you doing?"

Katara jumped and covered her mouth to smother the scream in her throat. She turned toward the dark figure in the middle of the black hall.

Kaylena stepped forward with sheepish expression on her face.

"Kaylena! What are YOU doing here?" Katara was not mad, but she was definitely irritated. She couldn't endanger her life too!

Well," she started. "You didn't come to teach me anything tonight and usually you tell me or at least have someone tell me you aren't coming, so I got worried and decided to follow you. So what are YOU doing because I asked first!"

Katara slapped her hand over Kaylena's mouth and motioned for her to be quiet. Footsteps traveled down the hall and she let out another sigh. This was too much.

"Uh...I was just, um, cleaning this hall. Yeah! That's right!" Katara started to imitate cleaning the wall with her hands and smiled at the young girl. Kaylena crossed her arms and frowned at Katara.

"No you're weren't."

"Yes I was."

"No."

"Yes."

"No!"

"YES!"

"NOOO!"

"SHHH!" Katara motioned for her to be quiet. She sighed when she realized the girl wasn't leaving. "This is really dangerous, Kaylena, and I don't want you to get hurt."

The little girl crossed her arms dramatically. "How dangerous, exactly?"

"Like so dangerous you could be killed."

"I wanna help!"

"SH!"

How could she allow this? The girl was so little and if she was caught... Katara's stomach rolled at the thought. She looked down and saw the girl on her knees with her hands clasped.

"Please, please, please, please, please-"

Katara finally sighed in defeat. "Okay! Fine," she whispered. Immediately, Kaylena jumped up and strutted around the corner. "I'll keep watch."

Katara couldn't believe it. Its like she wasn't even afraid to be caught. A little hand came from around the wall with a thumbs-up. _Well, here goes nothing._

The door was painted a bloody red and a golden handle in the shape of a dragon was placed in the center. It wasn't anything special, but there was a certain power held in the door. One that would cause anyone to have chills if they touched it.

Kaylena touched the handle and started to push. It swung open, revealing red furniture and books. There was a cozy fire set into the wall and a chair sitting in front of it with a small table to the side piled with books. A large mirror stood on the opposite wall. Surprisingly enough, it looked just like any old room in the palace. She had been expecting dead bodies stacked in a corner or maybe a wall made of fire.

Red drapings of the Fire Nation emblem crested the walls and standing in the middle of his room was the Fire Lord's desk.

It was made with polished wood and metal. Piled on the corners were random novels and documents about the land and its government. History books littered his chair and floor.

_Kami, how many books does this man read?_

They quickly stepped inside and shut the door behind them, waiting to hear the click of the lock. Then, Katara tip-toed toward the desk while Kaylena jumped onto the chair. She started to bounce making books fall all over the place. Katara squeaked as panic filled her.

"Kaylena stop! He's going to notice when his books are all over the place!"

She looked down at the mess. "Oops. Sorry. I'll clean it up." She hopped one more time before stepping off and collecting the books, polishing their dusty surfaces of with her hand.

Katara sighed before turning toward the desk-turned-bookshelf. She skirted her hands over the books, trying to place them exactly as they were after looking through them. She read through another one. _Nope. _And then another one. _Nope._

Eventually she went through all of the books and yawned. She really wanted to sleep, but this was more important. Her hand flitted to the drawer and opened it so the noise wouldn't wake up the snoring Kaylena on the chair. She glanced down and stopped mid-breath. It was there. She knew immediately even though it didn't have any words on it.

The framing was made with frail rice paper and was yellow with age. A old smell reached her noise and she grimaced. Yup, definately the one. She grabbed it and raised it into the light of the fire. She was almost too scared to open it, but even so, her hand reached forward and opened the cover. Dates was all she saw on the first page.

She picked out a random page and turned to it. Names. Names and more names. Some had dates next to them, others just said dead. Some even had where they had ended up, like a warehouse or a institution. They were in no particular order. There were spaces missing and sloppy hand writing covered the page like the person had purposefully dunked the pages in water.

She found names and more names, but not the name she was wanting, even when she turned to the last few pages. She wondered who else was dead. She started to read around where she had found the name, but the dates varied. It would take years to find Sokka's name, years she may not have.

She would do it though. She would do anything to keep her brother alive. She would search for years if she had to.

Kaylena gasped. Katara glanced over at her in shock. "When did you get up?"

"We have to go. Now!"

Katara didn't question it. She simply grabbed the book and shut the desk drawer. She knew if she was caught, she would be killed, but there was a risk for everything. Even love.

Kaylena grabbed her hand and ran out of the door, tugging Katara along behind her. They ran all around the palace, following different trails every time. They reached the kitchens and stopped, their breathing labored and sweat trailing down their temples.

"What was that about?" Katara asked in between breaths.

"There was someone coming. Did you get what ever you were looking for?"

Katara nodded. "Yeah."

Kaylena stiffened next to Katara and she glanced over to her. "Are you okay?"

"We forgot to shut the door."

They both widened their eyes and stared at each other.

Voices were head, yelling commands to the palace guards. Quickly, the two girls stood up and ran. Katara led her to her room and they decided to hide the book in the bottom of her bed. They tore the soft flesh of the mattress and pressed the book into the fluff, sewing the ends back together with some needle and thread.

They heard footsteps outside of the door and Katara muttered under her breath. "Quick," she said, motioning Kaylena to come closer. She did and they both laid down on the bed with the sheets covering them. A guard slammed open the door and demanded them to stand up. They did and two other guards entered the room.

They searched through the sheets and under the bed. They dug into her small closet and drawers, flinging clothes onto the dirty stone floor before turning back to the two girls. The guards nodded to each other and stepped out of the room. Katara let out a breath and started to climb back into bed. Kaylena climbed into bed with her after a second. Katara ran her hand over Kaylena's smooth hair and let out a sigh of her own. It would take forever to read that book.

_I might as well start now._

She slowly untangled herself from the sleeping girl and picked up her knife. It was the only one she owned. She hated to admit it, but she had stolen it from the kitchens a few months ago. She slid it along the seam of new stitches and reached inside for the book, feeling its frail pages.

She pulled it out and climbed back into bed, making herself comfortable for the long night ahead.

Katara yawned into her hand as she cleaned the prince's clothes for the fifth time. Kaylena stared at her friend, wondering why she was washing a piece of clothing five times in a row.

"Are you okay?" she said after Katara had washed the pants a sixth time.

"Mhm," she hummed. She had stayed awake the whole night reading that book and only made it to page two. There must have been a thousand names on just one page. The words had started to come together and form other words and Katara had closed her eyes, but all she could see was the names of the deceased floating around a grave.

"Because I'm pretty sure those pants are clean right now." She motioned toward Katara's hands where they scrubbed away at the silky material.

Katara lowered her gaze and stared at the pants. "Mmmm."

She then threw them into the basket and started on a shirt, dipping it into the giant wash room pond and grabbed small piece of soap. She scrubbed away and stared at the rest of the room.

It was just a giant square room with white walls, but it was Katara's favorite. She didn't know if it was because of the window at the top that let sunshine beam down onto the water and light the rest of the room or how the water in the blue pool always remained a warm temperature.

She came here all the time to practice her bending. It was getting better, so much better the more she practiced. She could now do an official water whip and make tidal waves above her head, but that was mainly it. It made her feel alive. She enjoyed every minute of it, feeling the way it traveled through her fingers and transformed into beautiful patterns in the air. Even Master Hama had considered her almost a Master herself, but she was never able to use her bending for a better purpose. "Don't worry," Hama had said with a wink. "One day you will." She dreamed of the day when she could finally spar with Zuko and not have to hold back.

The idea brought a smile to her lips. At least it did until she was pushed into the pool. She gasped as her face smacked the surface of the water. Fresh water entered her open mouth and she gagged. She came up for air and coughed the water out of her system. Then, she looked up at the culprit and frowned.

"Not funny, Makyla."

"Really? The other girls tend to think so." She gestured to the other girls around the pool covering their mouths with their hands as their bodies shook with laughter. Makyla looked back at Katara and smiled. It always amazed Katara how big that girl could smile.

She stuck her hand out for Katara and she grabbed it giving it a firm tug and Makyla came tumbling in beside her. Laughter was heard in the square room. Makyla came to the surface and playfully glared at Katara. She took her hand and shoved, causing water to pour onto Katara's face. She squealed and splashed Makyla back.

"Knock it off in here!"

Immediately everyone stopped and stared at the guard that had come into the room. The two girls left the small pool and started to wash the clothes once more. Once the guard was pleased, he left with a humph.

Makyla moved a little closer to Katara and knocked her hand. They glanced at each other and continued to work, but Katara got the message.

After their chores were done, they both met in the great room and stuck their feet into the pool. They swung them gently.

"So..." Makyla began. "You stole the book I'm guessing."

Katara sighed. "Yeah, but only because I needed to."

Makyla looked at the girl with her silver eyes and then looked back down at the water. It was a long time before she spoke. "My entire family was killed when I was six. That was seven years ago." She looked at the square hole in the ceiling. "It doesn't really feel like it was that long ago."

She looked back at Katara before she continued. "I know what you plan to do with the book, but be careful." She grabbed Katara's hand and let it rest between them. "The guards came to every room last night searching for it. Fire Lord Ozai's furious. He'll kill who ever has it or actually, has ever seen it besides him. Just promise you'll be careful."

Her voice was so tender and serious, so different than yesterday, that Katara couldn't look away. She nodded and Makyla smiled, back to her old self, and stood up, brushing her hands against her sides. "Good."

Katara glanced up at her and asked, "Since you're from the Northern Tribe, does that mean you can waterbend?"

Makyla's hands stilled at their sides. "The women aren't allowed to waterbend."

Katara stood up in outrage. "What?! They can't do that!"

"Hey, its not as bad as you think!" She put her hands up in front of her. "We become healers."

Katara stopped. "What do you mean 'healers'?" Hama hadn't taught her this yet she guessed.

A mischevious smile flashed across Makyla's face. "Would like me to show you?" She dipped her hands into the pool and kept them there for a second. All of a sudden the water turned bright blue, glowing around her hands. She raised them out of the water still covered in the glowing blue liquid and placed them on on Katara's arm where a bruise had formed.

Katara gasped as a coolness filled her entire arm; all the way from her fingertips to the bottom of her shoulder. When Makyla removed her hands the bruise was completely gone and Katara felt refreshed and energized. The water slowly fell off of Makyla's hands back into the 's eyes widened and she opened her mouth in shock.

"Come. You have much to learn, young pupil." Makyla winked and gestured behind her.

"Lets make you a Healing Master!"

**Okay! This took forever! But I found more inspiration and just wrote! so, just a sneak peak for the next chapter! There is another time jump and something happens to Zuko to make him look like he does in the cartoon. Can you figure out what? I would love it if you would review, but I can't make you so... I would appreciate though. I like knowing if people thought it sucked or something like that. It lets me know what I need to change.**


	7. Scarred

Sokka couldn't believe how unlucky he was. He had been maybe three weeks away from the Palace before he was sent all the way to the Earth Kingdom! He wasn't even on the same island anymore!

He was with a group of maybe six or seven other males, each skinny and scrawny looking. They looked like they had never lifted a finger in their lives for anything. Three of them cried on the way to where ever they were going.

The cage was uncomfortable and smelly. The long bars were made of bamboo and the floor was made of metal. In other words, the floor was blazing hot during the day time and chilly at night, making it incredibly uncomfortable at any time of the day.

One of the scrawny men next to Sokka blowed his nose into his shirt and sniffed. The air was humid and musty. They were traveling on a dirt road, that much he could tell. The were in the Earth Kingdom by now. They had to be.

The boat ride had been horrible and the stench of eight men together was not a smell you ever wanted to smell in your life. It made your eyes tear up and you nose hair shrivel and burn.

The cart lurched forward as it came to a sudden stop. The two men up front jumped off of the cart while the one on the ostrich-horse continued to circle around the cage. The ostrich-horse squawked as he made his way around the men, plucking at any fingers that tried to stick out of the bars.

"The Boulder wants you to exit the cage," the leader said. He was the smartest of the bunch, which wasn't saying much considering he talked about himself in third person. He wore a giant gold belt around his waist and no shirt to show of his bulging muscles, which Sokka had to admit were pretty impressive.

Some one from the crowd of men yelled out, "Who's the Boulder?"

His cheeks started to heat up in anger. "Me!" He pointed to himself, digging his finger into his left peck. "Me! I am the Boulder. Now you have made the Boulder upset." He raised his hand dramatically to his forehead.

_Geesh,_ Sokka thought. _He's more dramatic than Katara. _

Once they were all out the cage, the three men forced the group into a line and corralled them along the road. They went through street after street, watching as the people around them chose to act like they don't even exist.

Apparently, large men parading scrawny males through the streets of Ba Sing Se was pretty normal.

Street markets buzzed around them, trading items and swapping bargains for the best buy. Meats, vegetables, flowers, and fruits created a perfume that would call to any stomach. A seller motioned for a man to come to his cart full of hand woven rugs and clay pots.

A push on Sokka's back pulled his eyes away from the sizzling meat. His stomach growled in a pleading way. "Hurry!" The Boulder said. "We don't have all day. We've got a fight to attend."

Finally the men reached a wall of solid rock. Sokka looked at one of the men incredulously. "What are we supposed to do? Walk through it?"

One of the men, a giant shaped like an over-sized baby, growled at Sokka. He stepped toward the wall and took a deep breath. He raised his hands high in the are and squatted, then slammed his hands down toward the earth. In amazement the earth followed his commands and sunk into the earth leaving a giant square of black for them to walk through.

Sokka felt really stupid. "Oh," he mumbled out of the corner of his mouth.

Some gasped in shock, others squealed in fright. Sokka rolled his eyes. They wouldn't have lasted one day on their own.

The three men pushed the group forward into the dark. At first, there was just blackness, then a light appeared at the end of the hall. As they neared a roar started to echo through the tunnel. Sokka couldn't quite make it out. About twenty feet away from the lighted entry, he figured it out. It was a crowd

Blinding lights flashed down upon the rows upon rows of people littering the rocky stands. Hands clapped and whistles echoed around the giant rock stadium and on the main stage stood two fighters. One was a massive man with bulging muscles and huge teeth that were too big for his tiny mouth. In fact his entire head was too big for his body and overly large teeth. He wore a green loincloth over his genitals.

The other fighter was...just a girl. Her hair was tucked up into a giant bun with two pom-poms on the sides of her head and she had long bangs that hid her eyes. Her clothes were very standard and she had no shoes.

Sokka couldn't look anymore as the man charged head on with lifted rocks tailing behind him. He heard a man's battle cry and then it became louder. And louder. When Sokka finally looked up the man was headed straight for him, sailing through the air head first. Sokka let out a girlish squeal and scampered of to the side right as the man landed on the ground where he had been standing a second ago. A cloud of dust rose from the air at the man's impact and he let out a groan. He was then carried away on a rock stretcher to the medical center.

A manic laugh echoed through the stadium as the girl threw her head back and curled her fingers like talons. She then pointed toward the group of men behind Sokka. "Who dares challenge the Blind Bandit next?"

Sokka gasped as he saw her face. She was blind.

Katara gasped for air as she avoided Zuko's foot. He was really making her stay on her toes today. A fist swung over her head as she spiraled through the air in a delicate arch.

"You're getting better at this," he said with his chest pumping hard.

Katara smiled. "Well, I have a great teacher."

He smiled and ducked as Katara's foot sailed over his head. She wouldn't admit it to anyone, but she had a slight crush. It wasn't like it would matter or anything. She was only twelve after all and its not like he would notice her. So it was okay to have a crush.

Zuko charged forward and used his body strength to tackle her down to the ground. "That's no fair," she grumbled. He chuckled and stood up, offering a hand to help her up. She took it gratefully.

"Listen," he began. He put his hand on the back of his neck. "My dad is having a big dinner tonight with some really important governors from around the fire nation so no funny business alright?" He said it playfully, but there was a hint of honesty under toning his words.

She nodded and promised. He said he would see her that night. Little did they know that would be their last friendly encounter.

The dinner went by slowly. The appetizers were placed and removed as the half hour passed and Katara sighed. At this rate they wouldn't be done with dinner until it was time for breakfast!

Every governor of every major fire nation city was here. It put her on edge and made her teeth grind every time she went to fill up their glasses. They would stare at her with lust and malice pleasure in their eyes. She hated it. She hated them.

Dinner was served and placed. A large wild hog-monkey was placed in the center of the table with a plump fruit in it's mouth and side dishes spread around in large red bowls. The governors clapped with pleasure, stuck in a stupor from their unlimited spirits from Katara's pitcher.

One raised his glass. "Fill it!" he shouted out to know one in particular. Katara rushed forward to obey his command. The air around him swirled with alcohol and it made her eyes burn slightly and her nose wrinkle. Suddenly, the man grabbed her around the waist and pulled her over his lap. She screeched and dropped the pitcher, spilling glass and alcohol all over the stone polished floors. No one seemed to mind though. They were to busy watching Katara scream as the old man fondled her buttocks.

Katara couldn't stand it. Tears streamed down her face as the man assaulted her. The alcohol burned in her nose and she screamed as he dug his nails into her tender flesh.

Laughter and amused clapping rang in her ears.

She looked desperately at Zuko. His hands were balled up against his sides and his face was torn. She silently begged him to make it stop. When he made no move she let her head drop. It was no use. A loud slap rang out through the dining room and Katara screamed in pain. He had spanked her bare bottom.

"DON'T TOUCH HER!"

The glows of orange and yellow appeared over her and the man screamed, dropping her onto the wet floor.

The entire room was quiet.

Katara looked up in shock. Zuko was standing from his seat with both hands shaking in fists next to his sides. He looked so regal in that moment. Katara felt her heart constrict slightly.

Then the room turned to chaos. Shouting erupted as everyone stood up from their chairs. The food was completely forgotten as fingers started pointing about.

"Silence!"

Everyone stilled as the Fire Lord walked slowly toward his son. She could see Zuko's fear; could see the sweat falling from his brow. "Father, I am so-"

The slap rang through the room. No one said a word. Ozai raised his chin. "How dare you disgrace me this way." His words held a deathly power. "By dishonoring Governor Chin, you have dishonored me." He slapped Zuko again.

Katara looked at Chin with hatred. He had caused all this. He deserved getting his eyebrows singed off. They smoked as he stared at Zuko with anger.

"I shall teach a lesson you shall never forget."

Hands gripped both or Katara's arms and dragged her away. She wanted to fight or scream, but she knew that would only make the punishment worse.

The last she saw before the doors shut was the flames licking at Zuko's face as he screamed in pure unadulterated pain.


	8. Healing

**Thank you's go out to "Dreaming light 14", "sweetpotatopumpkin", and "ALW4" for reviewing! Your words really help me keep going with this story :) They gave me inspiration and I love them so much! They make me a happy person.**

** To answer your question "sweetpotatopumpkin", he doesn't yet, but I'm still debating that lol. **

**Enjoy!**

The lashing hurt more than anything she had ever experienced before. Maybe not emotionally, but physically. The fire whip smacked against her back again, drawing a lacerated pattern of burnt flesh and blood on her back. The screams tore from her throat until it was so sore she couldn't even talk. Stars and black spots clouded her vision as she felt another searing smack. She pulled at the binds on her hands attached to the wooden pole in front of her. She had to have been there for hours under the soldiers cruel punishment.

Eventually the lashing stopped, but the pain continued to stay. A shadow passed above her. A large wad of spit landed on the stone floor next to her head. "Filthy servant. Not much of a princess anymore, huh?"

She hung her head in shame. She couldn't let these men break her. She was stronger than this. Even after the soldier had cut her binds she continued to stay in her position. Her knees were bruised and cut from the crude stone floor underneath them, but still she did not move. Her arms complained and her back screamed in torment, but she couldn't bring herself to stand. The tears wouldn't stop. She was starting to slip, she could feel it. No one should feel this much pain, especially just a child like herself.

But she wasn't a child anymore. Her experiences had made her grow faster than she had ever unexpected to. She had been torn from her family, forced into servitude to a tyrant, and beaten nearly to the point of unconciousness. She was no longer a child.

She stayed on the ground there in the middle of the courtyard until the sun was nearly set in the west. Gentle hands prodded at her arms and a gentle voice soothed her crying. When Katara started to set up like the kind voice instructed she screeched in pain. The dried blood and open wounds moved and crunched and her skin tightened and bent, causing unimaginable pain. Her knees started to buckle as wave after wave of agony surged through her limbs. The gentle voice started to yell out and she felt another pair of arms assist her up. As they started to move toward the servant quarters, Katara could feel a darkness fall over her. It was warm and empty where no pain could find her. She gladly excepted it and fell into the darkness.

* * *

Sokka couldn't believe his eyes.

The last man, besides himself, stepped up onto the rock stage and gulped. He was the scrawny man from the cage that had blown his nose in his shirt. His green clothes were torn to shreds from his journey to Ba Sing Se, exposing his malnourished body hidden underneath.

The blind girl laughed and flicked a single finger. A jut of rock slid out of the ground propelling the man into the stands with a girlish scream. The crowd cheered in delight as the man landed with his rear sticking firmly in the air.

The girl turned sharply toward Sokka and pointed at him. "You!" she shouted. "You dare challenge the Blind Bandit?!"

Sokka glanced behind him, wishing a buff man would be behind him eager to face the evil girl on the stage. When all her saw was rock his shoulders sagged. Determination fueled him as he set foot on the stage. Immediately she swung at him. The pointed rock hurdled toward his face faster than he could move. The rock pummeled him in the stomach and pushed him back to the edge of the stage. The audience "oohed" mockingly.

Sokka shoved it aside as his next opponent, Mr. Rocky, approached on his right. At the last moment he ducked down and watched as the rock collided with the stands. She constantly kept him on the defense. He was dodging, ducking, slicing, and cutting rocks left and rock with his sword. The audience went crazy, standing on their seats and foaming at the mouth from the action. The roar of noise filled his ears, egging him on to keep going and to not give up. In a slight moment of offense Sokka threw his boomerang as he summersaulted over a rock coming from the floor to trip him. It sailed through the air in a delicate arch and he held his breath as it started to curve back toward him.

The entire audience paused as the wooden boomerang hit the back of her head. She gasped at the force proppelled her small body over the side of the stage and onto the floor. What just happened? No one made a sound.

Then the entire arena exploded. Cheers rang to the very top of the dome and people jumped in their seats. Sokka couldn't believe it. He had won! With a freaking boomerang! He kissed the blue painted wood as it returned to his hand. A large metal belt was presented to him and held it for the audience to see. The roar became even louder. They loved him! They really loved him! He was hefted onto someone's beefy shoulders and paraded around the arena. Sokka looked toward the floor where the girl started to leave, her shoulders hunched and her hands clenched in fists.

"Hey!" Sokka yelled out. He wasn't sure why he did, but he felt a need to. The girl moved a slab of rock and disappeared, the rock resealing itself after her exit. He felt troubled. Maybe he should say sorry?

The audience crowded him and started to beg for them to sign things; her chest, his shoe, her baby's forehead. He forgot all about the mysterious girl and focused on his new found fame.

* * *

When Katara opened her eyes, the first thing she felt was pain. The side of her face was smashed against a pillow as she laid on her stomach exposing her back to the chill air. The cool air felt good against her wounds and she moaned. Her temples throbbed from lack of water and her body felt sore.

A soft voice said it would be alright and a hand smoothed back her bangs. A glass of water was raised to her lips and she sucked at it thirstily. She looked up to thank the voice and saw Makyla. She had a nurturing smile on her face and her brown curls were plastered to the sides of her face with sweat. "Hama was here about an hour ago and did another session on your back. Does it feel any better?"

Katara nodded. Makyla let out a breath in relief and smiled. "Good. You've been out for two days healing."

"What?!" Katara tried to raise from the bed, but Makyla softly pushed her back down. "It's ok. You aren't in trouble or anything. But they did say you have to start working tomorrow again."

Katara couldn't believe it. Two days? She looked at her friend. "What happened to Zuko?"

Her face turned ashed. "Katara-"

"What happened?!" Her throat hurt, but she couldn't stop. She had to know. After all, Zuko had done stood up for her; he had gotten hurt for her.

Makyla was silent for a long time. "Katara," she finally muttered. "He's injuries were worse." She wasn't saying everything she knew. Katara could feel it. "There's more," she said.

Makyla looked at Katara with sorrow. She knew about Katara's slight crush and how much the prince meant to her. She didn't want to crush her heart. It wasn't her place. "All I will tell you is that...he's different, Katara. He's not the same Zuko you used to know."

She wanted to see for her self, but she was in no condition to see her prince. So she resentfully sat back down with her back facing the sky and waited.

After two more trips from Hama, she was released to go to her room. Her back still ached, but that kind of healing would just have to heal on its own. She had looked at her back right after Hama said it was okay to stand. Long pink scars criss-crossed and formed diamonds on her back. She had cried her eyes out for hours after.

She made her way through the familiar halls of the palace to the prince's quarters. No one even sparred her a glance as she slipped around corners and stuck to the wall. As she approached the large door she heard voices from inside. One was deep and gravely, kind of old sounding. The other was definitely Zuko. Her heart did a little shudder as she heard it, but there was something off about it.

"Zuko, you know if I could do anything-"

"Just forget it, Uncle," Zuko said. He sounded so mad and sad.

Katara hesitated before nocking lightly. Silence filled the room. The door opened ajar and Lord Iroh's face appeared in the crack. It looked more sullen than usual, but he put on a smile for Katara. She loved this man. He was the only royal in the palace that still treated her like the princess she was. "Well, if it isn't princess Katara. Please come in." He pulled the door open more and motioned for her to enter. Katara gave him a formal bow and entered.

The first thing she looked at was Zuko and her heart sank. The light from the window shined on the white gauze that covered the left side of his head. It looked freshly applied and already the blood was starting to soak through. He faced the window so all she could see was his hands clasped behind his back.

The air was tense and the temperature seemed to drop even though the sunlight warmed everyone through the window. There was a pregnant pause before Iroh cleared his throat. "Well, I'll let you two talk it out." He gave a wink to Katara and smoothly exited from the room. No one said a word even after the door had closed.

After a few more minutes passed she gulped. "Zuko, I-" The rest of her words caught in her throat when he turned around to look at her. The gauze was every where. She wanted to throw up, not from disgust with him; disgust with herself. She had done that to him.

"What do you want?" he said. His voice was cold and hollow.

"Zuko." She didn't know how to begin. "I'm _so _sorry."

He chuckled with malice. "Sorry? I don't want your sympathy," he said and turned toward the window again. Katara could feel her heart breaking. He was being so rude and mean.

"Zuko," she tried. "We're friends-"

Suddenly he turned. "Friends?! Friends don't do this!" He pointed to the left side of his face. Tears started streaming down Katara's cheeks. "I know! I'm so sorry!" she pleaded.

He turned back to the window. "We are not friends. Why would a prince be friends with a servant like you?" She couldn't take it anymore. She ran from the room sobbing, wanting nothing more than to bury her head in a pillow and hide away from the world. Zuko didn't stop her.

She would never have known about the one tear that fell down Zuko's cheek as he broke his only friend's heart.

**The next chapter is when the story really starts taking off. I hope you guys enjoyed it and yes, it does get happier. Don't forget to review if you thought it was good!**


	9. Burn

Thank** you "Dreaming light 14" and "Sealpop09" for reviewing! Now is when things start picking up.**

**Warning: Disturbing images in this chapter.**

**Enjoy, MakeMeProud**

_2 Years Later_

The silverware gleamed as Katara laid the fork, knife, and spoon delicately down around the dishes. She filled the small tea cup beside the shining crystal plate with steaming green tea, pouring in a steady stream as to spill any drops onto the table mat. Once she was completely satisfied, she stepped back as folded her hands together to signal she was done. Hama clapped from her corner and praised Katara's work with a quiet smile.

Her lessons were so easy. Set the table ware, serve tea, make hairstyles. At least until it came time for waterbending.

The ice daggers rushed toward her from Hama's fingers at dangerous speeds. Katara had just enough time to muster the water from the humid air around her and create a shield before the ice daggers impaled themselves into her tender flesh. She sent her own attack at the old woman, freeing the ice into its liquid form and whipping the air around her octopus style, deflecting ice and water like a true master. Water vapor filled the room like fog and Katara waited listening to the swish of the water even though she couldn't see it. Suddenly it was there in front of her face. A wave of water rushed toward her and she ducked to avoid it, but the water followed her movement. She twisted and turned against the following stream, but it continued to keep close ready to attack at the next weak move. Katara gathered her strength and turned to the wave. As it neared she slammed her hand down as hard as she could, making an invisible wall in front of her. The water recoiled like it had been blown away by the power of her hand and retreated into a puddle on the floor as it splashed down onto the stone floor.

The fog lifted from the air and revealed a shriveled old woman soaked to the bone. Hama was smiling from ear to ear. Then she did the strangest thing.

"Katara, you started off with so much potential and I have taught you all that I can with Waterbending." Then she shakily got down on her knees and bowed on the ground before Katara. "You are now a true Master Waterbender."

Katara couldn't believe her ears. A squeal left her mouth and she jumped up and down. She was a Master! Hama chuckled, still on the ground, and sighed happily. "Thank you, Master Hama," Katara said with a formal bow.

This made Hama smile. "Now that you are a true Master, I can show you my most secret weapon." Katara furrowed her brows. "But," Hama continued. "I can only show you on a full moon."

That made sense. Waterbenders take their power from the moon so it would only make sense to need the moon at its strongest point in order to perform strong bending. They cleaned up the room and said their goodbyes with great happiness.

Katara was on a high as she left her classes. How could she not be? She was a full Master Waterbender!

Not even serving Zuko today could bring down her spirits. She entered his room and collected his dirty laundry and sheets into a large whicker basket with a giant smile on her face.

"What are you smiling about?" Zuko said. His scar had healed, but it was not smooth like Katara's. It was course and discolored. Occasionally she would catch him holding the left side of his face in the palm of his hand like it ached or running his fingertips over the rough tissues like they were sandpaper. It pained her to see him like this, but he had made his choice. He didn't want her around.

"Nothing a prince like you need to concern yourself with...your highness."

After that day, she had not once called him by his name. After all, they weren't friends. That would be too inappropriate.

He scoffed with anger and continued to work on the parchment in front of him at his desk. "Well you are just a servant, _my_ servant as a matter of fact, and I'm telling you to stop smiling." He spoke down into his desk so he didn't have to look at her. He avoided eye contact with her at all cost now a days. She didn't know what his problem was, but he was really pissing her off. He had been like this ever since "the burn" as the people had started to call it. Cold. Distant. And if anyone around him was happy, he made sure to make them miserable. Katara slammed the basket onto the bed. "You can't tell me not to _smile_."

He chuckled with no humor. "I can do whatever the hell I want."

"No you can't!" She turned back to around to pick up some towels that were on floor. "Stop being suck a prick."

She regretted the words as soon as they were out of her mouth.

His response was instant. Immediately he stood from his chair and charged toward her. She wasn't scared, not of this _boy_, but she still back up to the nearest bed post in shock. He stopped in front of her face, nearly nose to nose. He was taller than her now by a few inches and she had to admit, it was slightly intimidating. "Apparently you don't understand." His breath smelt faintly of smoke and spicy food. The mixture overwhelmed her and made her knees weak. Even after all of the pain he had put her through she still pretended that they could possibly have something together. She was so stupid. She wanted to kick herself in the shins for all of her stupid emotions; emotions he would never feel.

He moved even closer to her face, nearly touching her lips with his own. She wanted to back down and walk away from those cold misshapen golden eyes, but something was keeping her in place. "I own you." He paused between each sentence to really let his words sink in. "You belong to me. You have no freedom." His words were choppy and harsh. She felt the unwanted moisture building in her eyes, making them shine in the morning light. "You have no choices." His words were hurting her. She could tell that he knew it was taking a toll on her, but she didn't know how to hide it. "You are mine to do with as I please. Got it?"

Then his lips moved down on hers in one quick motion. Her blood boiled, but not from pleasure. From anger. He wasn't kissing her because he wanted to, he was kissing her to prove a point. No matter how many times she had envisioned kissing him, it had never been like this. She tore her mouth away from his and glared at him in disgust. She would not be used as a toy.

Her hand moved before she could even think about what she was doing. It arched to his face faster than she knew she was capable of, but still he managed to catch it his tight grasp. His hand was hot and growing hotter. Soon it felt like he was branding her wrist like a cuff of fire and she imagined his skin a glowing red like heated metal. A whimper left her throat as it started to burn through her skin.

Flashbacks tore through her like lightening. The icy igloo, her mother's frightened eyes, the man's burning hands as he pushed her out of the igloo. The man's golden eyes. It seemed so fresh in her mind. She could smell burnt skin and feel the ash as it destroyed her village, but most of all she remembered the man's hot hands and golden eyes.

His evil golden eyes. Oh how she hated that damn color.

She glared into Zuko's golden eyes, the same shade of that evil man who had killed her mother. So many emotions were running through her she didn't even feel the pain from her overheated skin anymore. There was no longer any attraction left for her to have with this man. He was not a man, he was a monster.

That's when he decided to let go.

She tore her wrist away and cradled it against her chest soothingly, rubbing it against the cool cloth of her growing breasts. She stared right into his eyes, one surrounded by red scar tissue, the other a cold pupil surrounded in a fiery yellow, and stuck her face in front of his.

"I _hate_ you."

She saw something pass through his eyes. It was there for only a second, but it had been obvious her statement had meant something to him. Then his face turned blank of emotion. "Join the club."

She turned away from him and grabbed the basket off of the bed. Then she swept out of the room and stormed down the halls.

That night, she looked through page after page of the leather bound book for Sokka's name. She started to despair as twenty more pages went by. _No, no, no, NO!_

She was nearing the end of the book and still nothing. She threw the book on the floor of her room in frustration and cradled her head. She wanted to escape this personal hell. She wanted to know what happened to her brother. She wanted to find him and leave this god awful place.

She wanted to be away from _him._

* * *

The dream started out innocently enough.

The dream was so vivid, it seemed almost real as Zuko watched Katara fly around his room picking up clothes and sheets like she did every day. A large smile covered her beautiful face and her eyes sparkled in the light of the sun. She was wearing her traditional water tribe clothing and her hair was down and flowing down her back in chocolate waves. She noticed Zuko and her smile widened even more showing off her snowy white teeth.

He felt his heart leap as she laughed and opened her arms for him to hug her. He wanted to her to be in his arms so badly; he _needed _to be held in her arms. But as soon as he stepped forward flames crept slowly along the walls and engulfed his room in a red glow. He glanced frequently around trying to put out the flames around him and Katara, but there was nothing he could do to help. All he possessed was fire. He couldn't put out fire with more fire.

He glanced back at Katara with worried eyes, but she had changed. Her hair was still down, but she had on rouge and eye make up. Red silks and skimpy fabric covered her curvaceous body and a lonely glowing red crystal had been stuck to her forehead. Her eyes were full of anger and pain as she glared at him. "I hate you," she whispered. Zuko felt like crying. Not again, he couldn't face her words again. Already he was starting to crumble away.

A wall of glowing flames outlined Katara's body beautifully and made the red silk sparkle like tiny diamonds around her entire body. Her midriff had been left exposed to show off her tan skin and firm muscled stomach and Zuko nearly buckled under her beauty. Suddenly a silouette came out of the wall of fire. It was a strong, tall man wearing the royal fire hair piece upon his head. He was shirtless and bathed in darkness. His shadow moved from the heat of the flames around him.

Father.

Zuko stared on in horror as Ozai placed his dark hand on Katara's shoulder possessively. She moved her head to look at the hand on her shoulder as tears fell out of her eyes. "No," Zuko begged. "No father, please!"

She started to scream as the hand started to melt her skin. It peeled and bubbled under his hand, the flames spreading to her clothing and her hair. The smell of burnt flesh permeated the air sickeningly. This time Zuko's knees did buckle. He landed onto the flaming floor in sobs on his hands and knees. "Please stop!" he screamed up at his father. Katara thrashed and convulsed as the burning hot flames melted away her flesh, piling up on the floor as black ash. "PLEASE!" Tears streamed down his cheeks creating rivers as they cleared away the built up ash on his face from the flames.

His father's figure still remained dark, but Zuko could see the wicked smile on his face.

Katara turned toward Zuko in flames and pointed a boney finger at him. "You did this to me!" she screeched. Her face was burned, half of the skin missing revealing her muscles and teeth. Her voice became more demonic. "You did this! YOU DID THIS! YOU DID THIS!" She screamed it over and over again as Zuko cried out in pure agony. He felt the fire start to consume him too as his clothes caught fire and burned him to ashes.

Zuko shot up in his bed screaming out her name. His sheets were soaked with perspiration and his breathing was labored. He checked the room frantically for the burning flames, but the room was dark and cold. He checked his body for any scorch marks, but there was only cold sweat. Jumping out of bed, he ran to the bathroom and light the candle to see his reflection. He looked so scared. He didn't look like a prince, he looked like a boy who was completely scared of himself. What had he done?

He bent over to wash his face with some cool water from the basin and calm his heart from beating out of his chest, but it took sometime. He took deep breaths for minutes and when he felt he was calm enough to gather himself he sat up.

She was there behind him, her skin grotesque and putrefying as she smiled at Zuko through the window. He screamed and turned around to look with his own eyes, but there was nothing there. That was the last straw.

Sobs escaped out of Zuko's chest as he slid along the wall down to the floor. He was going insane. He knew he was. The tears wouldn't stop, so he cradled his head into his hands and let the tears pour out.

* * *

Dawn was just starting to peek over the horizon when Katara found it. It was his name.

Her eyes widened in complete shock as the name popped out at her on the page. "Prince Sokka of the Water Tribe."

Her fingers skimmed over his name a few times and she wanted to cry from happiness. She found him! The paragraph below his title described how he had been dumped into the middle of the fifth island named Luzon and given a factory job working as a blacksmith for fire nation armor. Then it went blank. She stared at the page in disbelief. That was it?

She flipped the page hoping maybe by chance the rest would appear magically on the next page, but sadly there was nothing. She wanted to tear her hair out, but at least she knew where to look for him now. Luzon. A plan started to twist and turn in her head and she scurried out of the door. It was finally time to return the book to its rightful owner.

She waited in the hallway until the guards passed before finding the pipe the led to the pipe system through the whole palace. She was lucky enough to steal it from the worker service room one day while she was on break from services. The pipe was dirty and smelled like mold, but it was just what she needed. Her tiny body could fit through the pipe with no problem and she could use the little knots and bolts to gain leverage up the steep twists and slopes.

Once she was high enough above the first floor rooms, she coasted over to the Fire Lord's study. She could see through the small holes in the grate below her into his study. It was a mess. The once neatly stacked books were strewn across the floor and pushed to corners of the room. The large chair was toppled onto its side and papers were smothered with ink.

"Do not defy me again, Ursa!"

Katara sighed in disappointment and prepared to hang tight for a few hours until they left. She placed the book in her clothing and stared below to the moving people as they shifted and walked into focus of the grate holes. The Fire Lord huffed out fire from his nostrils and placed a hand on his forehead. His wife tenderly put her hand on his back as she cradled the side of her face with her other hand.

Katara stiffened in her position. He had hit her.

"I'm sure the book will turn up, dear." She sounded so gentle and caring about this monster. It boggled Katara's mind how the Fire Lady could take being treated that way. She sure as hell wouldn't stand for it. She didn't think Zuko would stand for it either. If he knew, that is.

Ozai shrugged out from under Ursa's hand and stampeded around the room, knocking books across the room with his feet and shoving his hands together. "It's been two years, Ursa. Two years since someone stole all of that information. And when I find them...they will suffer a pain worse than death."

Katara's skin crawled as she thought of what he might do to her if he caught her. Too many painful things passed through her mind and her stomach churned queasily.

Ursa stepped forward hesitantly. "People have provided information, darling. They are trying to find this person! Please, you don't have to kill anyone else-"

The smack happened so quickly that it took everything in Katara's power to hold back the gasp that wanted to escape as Ursa flew across the room and onto the floor among the books. It was painful to watch such a sweet woman be treated so brutally. Ursa remained quite as she raised herself silently and with dignity from the floor. Her left eye was already starting to swell and a small cut leaked blood from her cheekbone. "She nodded as said, "I apologize."

_Don't back down! _Katara thought.

But she quickly saw Ursa's logic as the Fire Lord exited through the doors. As soon as he was gone, she took a deep breath and cradled her eye calmly. Katara could tell she was crying from the woman's shaking shoulders. Something told Katara it was okay to console her, to help her, so she pulled the grate open and landed gently next to the woman.

Ursa looked up with a gasp, but she didn't look upset to see the girl. She looked more afraid.

"What are you doing here?!" she whispered urgently. "He's going to come back!" Her cheeks were shiny with tears and her nose was red, along with her eyes.

"I know, but I need to give him this." Katara pulled out the leather book from her clothing and Ursa gasped. Then she smiled with pride at Katara and nodded. "Smart girl."

Katara was shocked. "Aren't you mad at me?"

Ursa shook her head. "No child. Its about time my husband faced his own mistakes. And by a child no less." She winked with her good eye and Katara swallowed the lump in her throat. "I can heal that for you, you know." She motioned toward Ursa's swollen eye.

Ursa looked at her perplexed. "And how, my dear, do you plan to do that?"

Katara looked around the destroyed room and saw a vase of flowers sitting against the wall. How it had not been smashed in Ozai's rage she would never know. Slowly she took control of the water in the bottom of the glass vase and flowed it across the room. Ursa gasped in surprise. "You're a waterbender."

Katara nodded and whispered, "Yes ma'am." She took the water and coated her hands with the clear liquid, changing it into a glowing blue. Ursa stared on in awe as Katara brought the water to her face and smoothed it over the Fire Lady's face. The woman laughed in amazement as waves of heat and ice flashed through her face.

When Katara pulled the water away, Ursa's face had returned back to normal except for a tiny silverish line were her cut had been. She touched her face in wonderment and then looked up at Katara in gratitude. "Thank you, child."

Just then commotion was heard outside of the door and they both jumped. "Quickly," Ursa motioned for her to climb back up to the grate. When Katara started to protest, Ursa raised her hand. "Please child, you have done me a great deed. Now let me return the favor." She motioned toward the floor. "Leave the book here as well."

Katara did as she was told and climbed up into the grate with Ursa's help and closed it behind her. Softly she heard Ursa's words and her heart dropped. "Do not watch, child." She whispered them so faintly Katara wasn't even sure she had heard them.

Before Katara could figure out the sinking feeling in her gut, the door bursted open with the Fire Lord and his guards in tow. Immediately he noticed the book laying on the floor in front of Ursa and looked up at her accusingly. "What is this?" he demanded.

She stood her ground and raised her chin defiantly in the air. "Your precious book. And yes dear husband. I did it." Then she did the bravest thing Katara had ever seen.

Ursa looked down at the book disdainfully and blew the book up with a fireball.

The pages burned and blazed as the entire book was demolished to black ashes on the floor. Guards held her arms behind her back and cuffed her in metal bands. She did not resist as they tossed her around and placed her on her knees in front of the Fire Lord. He did nothing to her for a few moments as she looked up at him defiantly. Then he punched her. Blood spewed onto the floor. Ursa would have been on the floor as well if it wasn't for the guards holding her up. There were more punches, more blood, more violence, and Katara couldn't look anymore.

"You are hereby banished to the worst prison we could possibly have, whore." He put his head next to the unrecognizable woman's ear. "I hope that taught you a lesson, Ursa."

Slowly the woman lifted her bloody face to him and spat the blood in her mouth onto his royal robes.

She was led away after that, leaving behind a trail of blood as the guards dragged her away. The Fire Lord looked around the room and smiled to himself before exiting the room with his hands folded calmly behind his back.

Katara kept her hand over her mouth to stop the scream that wanted to come out. She hiccuped as she cried, the sound echoing through out the pipes. Why had Ursa done that for her? Why had she said that?

Katara stayed their in that moldy pipe for hours before she was calm enough to leave. It was after the tears had stopped and the numb feeling left her body that she was able to feel it. Loathing.

Pure Unadulterated loathing.

She would stop this man from hurting anyone else. She would stop his whole nation from being able to survive. She would defeat the Fire Lord.

She would have her revenge.

**An extra long chapter for you! I just couldn't stop writting and so I kept going lol. Yay! The fluff chapters are done. Now its time for the hard core shit.**


	10. Masked Mystery

**I'm back! I kind of had a writers block and didn't know what to do, but I found some more inspiration! **

**Thank you "Dreaming light 14", "ALW4", "Keep Come and Be Ninja", "misstris1221", "Sealpop09", and an anonymous reviewer for your wonderful reviews! They were absolutely lovely. Every single one of you are truly my inspirations to keep going with this story. Thank you guys seriously. And even to those of you who don't review, thank you for reading this! It makes me a very happy woman :)**

**Enjoy, MakeMeProud**

Zuko watched her zip around his room from the corner of his good eye. She looked like a goddess in her flowing red skirt and form fitting top, and her hair blew around her face from the gentle breeze coming from the window behind him. She truly was an angel, merely missing her glowing white wings. He only wished he could tell her that to her face.

Katara slipped out of his view and he turned his head slightly in the opposite direction to see her beautiful face again. His bad eye twitched in irritation at the awkward angle he was trying to see her at and he sighed in defeat, looking down at the table in front of him. The torn tissues pulsed and tightened around the eye painfully and his fingers prodded at the skin tenderly. Most of the time he could pretend like it didn't exist, but then it would start to ache like it was reminding him that he chose to let this happen. He knew the consequences of his actions. It no longer mattered how normal he felt, he could never be normal again; not with this _thing _on his face.

People stared at him in the streets and girls gasped when they saw the rough exposed side of his face. He felt like the only reason people even tolerated him anymore was because he was royalty, not because they enjoyed his company. No one wanted to be in the company of a beast. He was cursed with this hideous face because he had decided to do a good deed, but his father did not see it that way. He still remembered the talk with his father after the medical wing had bandaged and cleaned the burnt flesh as best as they could, rubbing in healing concoctions and numbing herbs for the pain. The servants would hardly look at him as they busied themselves cleaning the scar tissue and blood off of his face.

"You deserve this, Zuko," his father had spat at him. "Speaking out of term like that...I should disown you. Banish you from this nation!" Zuko cringed at the man's words. "But...I am a merciful man. Instead of being banished, you will be cursed with this face so that everyone may know your deed. Everyone will see the monster you have become."

_No, you're the monster._

Zuko glared up at his father in hatred. He spoke through his teeth, "If that is your wish, father," and bowing his head in royal respect.

"And if you ever so much as help that servant of yours again, I will deal with her personally. And it will not be pleasant." A shudder passed through Zuko as he continued to stare at the floor. "At least, it will not be be pleasant for _her." _

Zuko looked up at Ozai in horror. He couldn't possible mean that! Could he? But Ozai's evil smirk proved Zuko suspicions that Ozai would indeed sleep with the girl.

Ozai did not mutter so much as a word as he left his son standing there in the corridor alone with his haunting thoughts.

The nightmares occurred every night. He saw Katara laying on a bed of red silks, afraid and crying, as his father's shadow leaned over her. He saw her burned to the point of death and missing limbs. He saw her disemboweled in front of the palace for everyone to witness as his father laughed from his throne.

"Are you alright?"

Zuko turned to Katara in surprise. The sweat on his brow started to cool and his heart started to loose some of its speed as he gazed into her calming blue eyes. "I'm fine," he muttered out of breath. "Why do you ask?"

She motioned to Zuko's hands with her eyes and he looked down, raising his hands in front of his face for further inspection. Steam rose from his palms and fingers and the edges of his royal robes were slightly singed from the heat radiated from his skin. Embarrassed, Zuko moved his hands behind his back and faced her square on with burning cheeks.

"Your services are no longer needed until tonight at dinner. Thank you."

Katara just stared at him in shock. Since when did he say thank you? She quirked her eyebrow suspiciously and gazed inquisitively at him for a moment, trying to figure out his motives before bowing and leaving the presence of the prince.

As soon as she left, a weight as heavy as an elephant-moose lifted off of Zuko's chest. He sagged into the chair at his desk and put his head in his hands. He needed a break from all of this. These images that tormented him were driving him insane! Not to mention all of the boring council meetings, fighting lessons, and royal activities he had to attend with everyone staring at the scarred prince. The "Burned One."

He grimaced and shut his eyes tightly. He didn't even remember the pain of the fire as it seared his face, but he remembered the colors as they raced from Ozai's palm. Red, yellow, and a touch of blue all swirled together.

Zuko inhaled through his nose slowly. One, two, three, four... He let out the air out just as slowly, feeling his lungs empty and squeeze in his chest. He needed to go out. No one would miss him while he was gone. There were no meetings to attend, no banquets to stand at awkwardly tonight. He had some free time and he knew exactly how he wanted to spend it.

It wasn't hard to leave the palace unnoticed. The heavy front gates opened as a cargo wagon exited out to the market in the center of the capital. Zuko's fingers tightened on the axels of the wheels under the wagon as the cargo rustled above him and the road turned from solid polished stone to cobblestone streets. He could feel the joints in his arms groaning as he pulled himself up to the bottom of the wagon to avoid the jagged loose rocks flying from the wheels. His feet planted themselves against a supporting beam and he clung tightly waiting until the wagon came to a full stop to unload its riches into the market place before releasing his tiring grip.

The market today was especially busy because of the approaching festival next week. It was the biggest festival of the fire nation and was held in the capital every year during the summer when the sun was at its peak of the cycle.

Reds and golds clattered the cobblestone streets as people bustled around buying food and goodies. Sellers traded produce and jewelry, shoving their best sells at oncoming shoppers eager to buy. The smell of sizzling meat and spices permeated the air and the summer sun made the golds of the street shimmer and sparkle. Banners and signs hung in the air across the multicolored carts, linking them all together like one giant octopus.

Zuko pulled his hood up to avoid the eyes of the wondering people scurrying to and fro. The black fabric was thick enough that he didn't have to worry about people noticing his face, but he let his hair out of its top knot anyway for good measure. A young boy passed holding hands with his mother and a pang of longing ran through Zuko. It had been days since he had seen her and anytime he asked his father about her, he would merely scoff and dismiss him like he wasn't worth the Fire Lord's time.

The young boy gripped his wooden boat painted in deep reds and yellows closer to his chest as he tried to look into Zuko's cloak. His eyes shined with curiosity and suspicion. Suddenly, he gasped and pulled on his mother's red tunic. "Momma! Momma!" he yelled. She looked down in annoyance and steadied the bag of goodies in the crook of her arm. "I saw the prince!" The boy pointed in Zuko's direction with his chubby little finger.

Zuko tensed and faced away from the small family in hopes that the mother wouldn't notice him as well as the boy had. "Oh darling," the mother chuckled. "You would be able to recognize the prince. That isn't him." Zuko started to slowly relax as the woman continued to talk.

"He isn't ugly enough." She giggled afterward, as if it were a joke.

She had no idea. He turned away from the market, disgusted with himself. His own people thought he was a hideous monster. Tears built in the corners of his eyes and started to burn, but he clenched his fist from letting them spill over. It wasn't worth the tears.

All of a sudden the market had lost its appeal. He debated just going home to hide away in his room where no one could call him ugly and a monster, but something on a stand to his right grabbed his attention. He walked slowly to the mask nestled neatly in a pile of netting, reaching out to touch its glossy surface. The white outlines popped out against the dark blue tones underneath. It was quite menacing. The face looked almost demonic and deformed, with its heavy brow, large teeth, and short horns.

Something was drawing him to it. He couldn't imagine what purpose the mask could even possess, but suddenly he couldn't imagine leaving it arranged in the netting for someone else to touch and observe. He caressed the white lines again as he made up his mind.

"You gonna buy that or not?" the seller commanded as he leaned against one of the support beams of his cart of goodies. The middle aged man, maybe in his late fourties, had a thick white mustache and thick sideburns that coiled inward across his cheekbones.

The coins were laid on the counter in front of the seller before he had time to mutter another greedy comment.

He stroked the side burns affectionately as he looked down at the shining golden coins in front of him with an appreciative hum. "This will do nicely," he said in a gruff voice. He then pulled the coins in to him with both arms and giddily danced around the small space, biting the gold with his yellow teeth.

Zuko grumbled in content, not ever breaking contact with the mask in his hands, then thought before of keeping it out for others to see and stuffed the terrifying mask in the folds of his clothing underneath his cloak. He then turned away from the small busy market to head home and discover his new purpose with this mysterious mask.

* * *

Sokka took another chunk out of the large meaty leg and hummed in pleasure. He had saved up a weeks earnings for this moment. Sure he could live off of the meager bread and soup the training facility provided, but he wanted meat. And lots of it.

Somehow he had managed to hold some of his fame for beating the Blind Bandit years ago, occasionally having to sign a rock or listen to his fan girls rant about how amazing he was. Oh the life of the famous. It was marvelous.

But something still bothered him about that day. The blind girl. It had been two years and he still hadn't seen her, not in the city or in the arena. He wondered if she had died or simply vanished from the city, but he doubted any of that. She could definitely handle her own.

The streets buzzed as people left their work to return to their homes. The sky was turning a beautiful shade of orange as the sun descended down past the horizon and the air was soft and breezy. Sokka laid his head back against the door frame he was leaning against and sighed in content. There weren't many cool days in the Earth Kingdom so when there was even the slightest bit of wind blowing through the air, Sokka would breath in deep. He tried to imagine home and feel the coolness wrap around him, but it was just too muggy.

He opened his eyes and scanned the street, people watching to keep himself entertained before he had to head back to the training facility. Instantly his eyes spotted a family traveling together in royal green robes. They stuck out like a soar thumb agaisnt the normal dull greens and dirty tans surrounding them. He could immediately tell the family was rich from their luxurious silks and jewels, not to mention the giant men that followed them on either side. The men seemed to be following one member of the family more intently than the rest.

The member was a little girl, about twelve years old, with onyx hair folded up into a gigantic elegant bun and clouded eyes.

Sokka jumped to his feet immidiately and followed behind the family. "Hey!" he yelled out. Her face turned slightly to the side before she frowned and faced the front again. "The Blind Bandit!" Sokka called out again with a silly wave. Then he realized she couldn't see it and put his hand down self consciously.

The noble man in front of the girl turned toward him with a scoff. His face was handsomely shaven and looked as smooth as the silks he wore.

"Lady Toph," the man, he must have been her father, said to the young girl. "Do you know this boy?" He motioned gracefully to the akwardly skinny boy five feet away.

"I have no idea, father," she said with a humph. She acted so innocent, so false! Sokka wanted to shake her or maybe throw his boomerang at her again. Maybe she would remember then. But as they turned to ignore him once again, she turned toward Sokka with a menacing look. The message was clear. _Go away_.

But he could tell. She remembered him! He decided to follow them down the dirty streets, past the market, until the streets turned to smooth stone roads. Long luscious green grass paralleled the road on either side as the family continued their journey. Sokka hid behind anything he could find; a tree, a sign, a random thorn bush that almost made him cry. He glanced around from behind a tree as he pulled the last thorn out of his palm, and saw the royal family being led into carriages.

Sokka sighed. That just meant more walking for him and less time to keep up with them!

After about ten minutes or so of Sokka dragging himself behind the carriages, he came upon the most gorgeous house he had ever seen. The large three-story mansion rose over the hill with giant white stone walls around the back. A large flying pig was embellished into the front of the metal gates. The symbol of the Be Fongs.

She was a Be Fong?!

Sokka stared in shock as the girl passed through the gates with the rest of her family and watched as the doors closed with a final bang.

He just wanted to talk to her! Was that so hard?

Sokka exhaled in frustration as he thought up a plan to discover how to talk to this girl and ask her why she was so eager to hide behind a mask of lies. Why wouldn't she just tell her parents that she was a pro-bender and an amazing one at that? Why was she pretending he didn't exist?

A large grin covered his face as the plan formed in his mind. He was about to find out all of the answers to his questions.

**I hope you liked it! Now the plot is finally going along! Thank you guys again for all of your support. It really makes writing this such a joy :)**


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